Marks of a Hero
by tragicwitch
Summary: Sequel to The Strongest Magic. Full summary inside to avoid spoilers.
1. Prologue: Another Story

A/N: For those of you who read my first story, thank you! I really didn't plan on writing this, but after I finished The Strongest Magic, the idea began rolling around in my head, and then it snowballed out of control. The idea of Atreyu making the adjustment in the human world just sounded like too much fun. It'll be slow since I'm writing this between work and class in a busy semester, but I promise I'll get a good pace going soon. For now, enjoy!

**Prologue: Another Story**

**The boy tensed as the door creaked open slowly. He had the excuses ready for his mother when she came through the door. He wouldn't get the chance to use them because it wasn't his mother coming up to his room. It wasn't his father either. He was out of town on business. When he saw his visitor, the stories he'd formed died on his lips. All that remained on his face was a grim frown.**

**"Hey kiddo." The boy's grandfather said with a grin as he slid his broad frame through the door. He was a large man and in impressive shape for the age of sixty-five. His shoulders were still straight and broad and one look at his rough hands told everyone there was strength in them. Every Christmas, the boy had seen him wrestle with his dad and his other brothers. His first and only loss had been just that past year, and he still had a feeling he'd gone easy on them. But in spite of his size and build, his face was kind.**

**"Hi." The boy replied sourly. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see his grandfather. He loved him dearly. It was that he had never once been able to lie to him. The old man was far too sly for his excuses. He may have been kind, but he didn't tolerate this kind of nonsense. One look at the glint in his eyes over that soft smile made it clear. The man knew the whole story and he was here to straighten the boy out. The old man stepped further into the room and held his hand out.**

**"Going somewhere?" He indicated the open window through which the boy still had his leg sticking out, ready to find footing on the ledge to leap for the tree outside his room. It would have been a smooth escape, but he knew his grandpa better than that. He'd just run after him and catch him. The old man was much faster than he looked. He didn't even bother answering. He just pulled his leg back inside and stared sheepishly at the floor.**

**"How'd that happen?" He made an attempt to touch the swollen red patch above his eyebrow.**

**The boy hissed as his grandfather's calloused fingers brushed against the still tender wound. "It's nothing."**

**"No, I suppose not. I heard the other boy looks a sight worse than you do." He folded his arms across his chest. The boy copied him and looked the other way. "Your mother tells me this isn't the first time it's happened." He remained silent. "Come on son, what's been going on? This isn't you."**

**"How would you know?" The boy asked icily.**

**"Because I know my grandson and he doesn't pick fights. He's stubborn, short tempered, but never a bully." The boy said nothing more. The old man sighed and moved to the desk in the corner of the room. He pulled out the chair and turned it to face his grandson's bed. He motioned for the boy to sit at the foot of the bed.**

**"What?" He asked apprehensively, though he had a pretty good idea where this was going.**

**"Well you don't seem to want to talk about you. So let's talk about someone else."**

**"You mean a story?" He sighed heavily.**

**"You didn't used to mind listening to me ramble."**

**"I was a kid Grandpa! I'm fourteen years old!"**

**Grandpa gave him a wry smile as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees. "Oh? And tell me, what terribly important things were you planning on doing on this, the first day of your being grounded?"**

**He winced. "Grounded?"**

**Grandpa nodded. "Oh, big time. If your mother has her way, you might not leave this house again until you're as old as I am. You really pushed her this time. Might as well find a way to pass the time."**

**Giving up the battle, the boy plopped onto the foot of his bed. The resentment was plain on his face. If he knew his grandfather's stories, he wasn't going anywhere for a long time.**

**"Which one is it?" He asked warily.**

**"Relax, it's one you haven't heard before. I was going to save it for when you were a little older, but I think you need to hear it now." His grandfather got a faraway look in his eye and the boy knew what would come next. In spite of the declaration that this was a new story, it started the same way as many of his others. If he wanted, he probably could have mouthed the words his grandpa spoke word for word.**

**"This story is all about a boy named Atreyu."**


	2. Chapter 1: The Ambush

A/N: To clear up any confusion, the boy and Grandfather from the prologue will have their passages written in bold while the actual story will be... not in bold.

Chapter 1: The Ambush

Atreyu's dark eyes scanned his surroundings with the focus of the most practiced hunter. The last rays of twilight were vanishing behind the leaves, but the moon was high and it gave him all the light he needed. This was where the message he'd found earlier that day had led him. He'd followed the mysterious instructions, not knowing who had sent it, but trusting in his abilities to handle whatever lay at the end of the trail. This forest was familiar to him. Not that he'd ever been here before, but he had always felt at home in the wilderness, whether that be the grassy plains, the barren desert, a forest like this one. Whoever it was who had led him here, if they thought to trap or otherwise ensnare him here, they couldn't have picked a worse space to attempt it.

His ears twitched at the sound of brush being crushed softly beneath the feet of a stranger. There was someone else in the woods with him, and their skill at avoiding detection could not match his prowess as a hunter. Had he his bow, he could have fired an arrow in the direction of the stranger and know it would hit its mark right at their feet. The moment they gave away their location, Atreyu sprang into action, sprinting through the brush. The one who had stalked him thus far took off through the treeline. Atreyu was right at his heels. It was too dark, and the stranger wore black with his hood drawn so he could not see his face. That didn't matter. He would unmask him soon enough. Tracking him was easy, however Atreyu soon found they were a close match in speed. He couldn't seem to overtake him, and they were heading further into the woods. All of his instincts were telling him he was headed into a trap. If he wished to catch who he was chasing, he knew he had to do it soon. But the stranger's pace was indomitable. He even knew how to rebound sharp turns by using the trees as footing so as not to lose speed. They were very close to the dark heart of the wood now, and Atreyu was sure his cohorts were not far away now. But they were even closer than he thought.

Just as the stranger leaped between a pair of close growing trees, he was engulfed in the shadows. Atreyu lost sight of him. Just as he passed through the same trees, the darkness overwhelmed his vision. Even the moonlight was blocked from this part of the forest. He waited patiently for his vision to adjust so he could resume the chase, but before he could, a pair of hands clamped over his eyes from behind. The stranger wasn't trying to overpower him, but when he tried to turn and regain the use of his eyes, they turned with him. They whispered directly into his ear in a low voice.

"Make a wish."

Atreyu grimaced. "Wishes can be dangerous." He replied.

"That may be. But on a day like this, everyone should make a wish."

"And why is this day so special?"

"Because everyone should make a wish on their birthday."

"What?" At that moment, the stranger lowered their hands from his eyes came around to face him. She smiled at him and her hazel-green eyes had a mischievous gleam in them.

"Adair? What's going on?" Before she could answer, the lights came on. The trees were wound all through the clearing they were standing in with strings of lights. They illuminated the space so he could see that at the center was a small collection of park tables with benches. And seated at these tables was a small host of people he knew.

"Surprise!" The all exclaimed in unison. At the head of the first table sat Bastian and Christa, his best friends and foster parents. With them sat their three sons Oliver, Jonathan, and James, and Oliver's wife Violet. At the next table sat Bastian and Christa's two daughters Julie and Tammy who held her newborn son in her arms. Next to Tammy was her husband Thomas. At the last table was Adair's family, her aunt Rosemary with baby Lizzie on her lap, and the boys Bryan and Jamie. Bryan was next to his mother, dressed in a black hoodie. He was breathing heavily and being offered a glass of water by his mother. He drank gratefully.

"It was tough getting you here." Bryan said between gulps. "You almost caught me a couple times."

"But he didn't." Rosemary said with a smile. "All your training must be paying off. I'm so proud of my little quarterback." She said teasingly before planting a wet kiss on his cheek.

"Mom!" He cried with embarrassment.

"Did you hear how serious he was?" James laughed at Bastian's table. "Wishes can be dangerous." He repeated Atreyu's words from earlier in a falsely serious voice. His brother's laughed with him until Christa swatted James' arm.

"That's enough teasing."

"I don't understand..." Atreyu looked to Adair who was still smiling. He'd heard of occasions like this, but he'd never had one himself. He was sure he had one, but he'd never thought about it. "Is today really... my birthday?"

"Well when I asked Bastian, he said he wasn't sure what day it would fall on."

"Wait, you talked to Bastian about this? When?" He looked to his old friend who raised a glass in his direction.

"That little lady of yours and I have been planning this for weeks. She was determined to make this a very special day for you."

"Weeks? Where was I?"

"That was my job." Christa said proudly. Suddenly Atreyu remembered how much time he'd been spending with her lately.

"Wait. You mean all those times?"

Christa bent and placed a hand on her back, acting old and feeble. "Oh Atreyu, could you be a dear and help me get these weeds? I'm just not as young as I used to be."

"While you two were outside or in town running errands, Adair and I were at the shop putting the details together." Bastian explained.

"But we still didn't know what day we wanted to have it on. So we threw around a couple ideas and decided-"  
"Adair picked the day she met you because she just had to make this day all about her." Jamie said with a smirk. Adair shot him a dark look that quieted him quickly.

"I did not. That's our anniversary. Bastian picked the day."

"Well it was your idea. Atreyu, do you have any idea what today is?"

Atreyu thought on it, but nothing remarkable about today came to mind. "It's November 12th."

"Anything else?"

He thought on it some more. "Wednesday?"

"Oh just tell him dear." Christa admonished. "I didn't know either until you told me."

Bastian placed his hand over his wife's. "Oh alright. Atreyu, today is the very same day a certain chubby little boy found his way into a bookshop and stole a very important book."

Atreyu understood at once. "Today's the day you discovered the Neverending Story!"

Adair put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "And from here on out, November 12th is your honorary birthday. All that was left was for me to slip the note and directions into your room and have Bryan lead you here."

"You all went through so much effort for me. I..." He stammered. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, except maybe that you have the most amazing girlfriend in the world."

He returned the kiss she had given him. "In any world." He replied.

"Get a room!" James called, earning laughter from the others. Atreyu's face turned red, but Adair was still smiling.

Atreyu would look back on this night fondly. The tables were laden with food, that they ate for the first part of the party. When the tables were cleared, the guests surprised Atreyu again with the giving of gifts. They had him sit on one of the benches formed a circle around him. To have so much attention on him made him a little uncomfortable on its own, but to be given gifts on top of it made his stomach tight and his face flush. He protested a little, but when he saw how happy it made everyone gathered, he relented.

Bastian gave him a book with some very familiar characters on the front cover. "Gets published next month." He said with a wink. "Thought you'd want to be the first."

"Thank you." Atreyu replied with reverence. After some painstaking home-schooled hours, Atreyu had learned to read, and now he loved it almost as much as Bastian. But that wasn't the only reason he was happy to have this book. He ran his fingers over the cover and when Adair looked over his shoulder she too was awed by what she saw.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Yep. Been making quite a stir on their end those three." Bastian replied, referring to the three on the cover. Soaring through a cloud-filled sky was a white serpentine creature with ruby red eyes and the head of a lion covered from head to tail in pearly pink-white scales and white fur. On his back were two riders. One was a boy with a sword strapped to his back with a black and red hilt. The other was a girl with long wild dark hair, bright green eyes, and leaf shaped ears.

"I'm borrowing that as soon as you're done." Adair declared.

"How about I come over and read it with you." Atreyu offered with a sly smile.

"Enough of that you two." Aunt Rosemary interrupted. "Open ours next."

Aunt Rosemary (she had long insisted that Atreyu refer to her as such) and the boys gifted him with a new skateboard which Bryan couldn't wait to teach him how to ride.

"Not that you'll need it." The younger boy assured him. "It's probably a lot easier than riding on a dragon."

He opened the one from Thomas and James next. He hadn't a clue what it was. "What is this?"

"It's an MP3 player. It plays music for you wherever you go."

"That's amazing!" Such a thing might not be all that astonishing to the likes of you and I, but to Atreyu who was still very new to this world, a device like this one sounded like magic. Having learned all about how electricity works in his homeschooling did little to lessen the his wonder for what it could create.

"I'll teach you how to use it." Adair promised.

Christa gifted him with a scarf she had made herself, and Oliver and Violet gave him a new leather jacket. Tammy and Julie had gotten him a new pair of boots. They were a sturdy black pair with double laces that came up a little above his ankles.

"We thought about sneakers when we were out shopping, but we thought you'd be more comfortable in these. And they'll last a lot longer."

"I love them." He said with a smile. "Thank you."

"And here we thought you'd be hard to shop for." Julie said with a laugh.

Adair took the time to sneak away while he tried on the jacket and boots. She returned with his final present. It wasn't wrapped save for a black trash bag fastened around it.

"Sorry, this was kind of a last minute thing." She apologized. She set it on his lap and he began untying the strings that fastened the bag closed. When he pulled the bag off, he found what looked like a large satchel. There were two straps on it, large enough for both of his arms to fit through. He'd seen Adair carry something like this when she went to school. This one was forest green and brand new. It was heavier than it looked, telling him there was something inside.

"It's a backpack." Adair explained. "Open it."

Atreyu fumbled with the zipper and slid it open. He reached inside and pulled out several blank notebooks and empty three ring binders. The inside had pockets that were lined with pens and pencils.

"Thank you. I'll make good use of these." He promised. He was grateful for the gift, but he couldn't understand why Adair was smiling at him so wide, like she was expecting something.

"Do you know what it's for?"

"Of course. To carry my school supplies. But I don't understand why I'd need to carry them with me when I do all my schooling at home."

"You don't get it?"

"Adair, allow me." Bastian interceded. "Atreyu, Christa and I have discussed this, and Adair believed it was best kept a surprise for this day."

"Discussed what?"

With a gleam in his eye, Bastian posed a question. "Atreyu, how would you feel about going to school with Adair and Bryan."

Now the gift made sense. "You mean it? How? I thought it was impossible."

"Well you're a much faster learner than you give yourself credit for. I spoke with the school's principal and gave him your paperwork. You're reading at grade level, and he said your grades would allow for a smooth transfer if you wished to attend high school in favor of home schooling."

Adair interrupted, unable to contain her excitement. "Mrs. Chambers said you could take an entry exam before the winter break, and if you pass you'll be enrolled for the spring semester! You'd be finishing your junior year with me!"

At first Atreyu couldn't respond. The revelation was a lot to take in and what he felt was a confusing mix of surprise, excitement, and anxiety. Not knowing what to say, he remained silent.

"Don't worry dude." Bryan socked his arm in a brotherly way. "I'll watch your back."

Adair rolled her eyes. "Whatever Freshman."

Bryan glowered at her. "Not cool."

"Well?" Adair prodded when Atreyu didn't express his immediate excitement. "Say something!"

Atreyu was about to tell her what a great idea he thought it was (though it was something that gave him pause) when he felt an odd weight in the backpack he hadn't noticed before.

"There's something else in here." He reached inside.

"What? That's not right. I didn't hide anything else in there. Bastian, did you?"

The old man shook his head and his brow knit together. "No I didn't. Christa?"

His wife shook her head as well.

"Come on guys stop playing. If it wasn't you, who was it?"

"We're being honest Adair, that was all we had."

Atreyu retrieved the final item hidden within the backpack. At first glance it was a leather bound book whose cover looked weathered. The pages looked yellowed with age, and a sturdy bronze catch kept it bound shut.

"What is it?" Adair asked.

"I don't know... I can't get it open." He tugged at the catch, but it remained tight. Adair tried and failed, and after the two of them couldn't get it open, Bryan, Oliver, James, Thomas, and even Jamie tried their best to pry it open. It was all in vain. The mysterious book remained locked.

"Well, we can figure it out later." Bastian decided. "For now, let's just enjoy the night."

The evening was a happy one, filled with laughing, games, and dancing, and when it was over the guests said their goodbyes. Some were sadder than others, particularly Christa's farewell to her children who were returning to their homes or to college the following morning. Adair and Atreyu had a special goodbye for one another; a stolen moment in the trees where she wished him a happy birthday once more and kissed him lightly. Then they each returned home. Atreyu went home with Bastian and Christa, carrying his gifts with him. The book remained in his backpack, and it would be a long time before he even thought of it again. For now his mind centered on the new adventure before him: the adventure of high school.

* * *

Aunt Rosemary's house was unusually lively for such a late hour, but it was all she could do to contain Bryan and Jamie to their rooms to expel their remaining excitement from the party. Adair herself didn't seem ready for sleep either, but her aunt noticed she was rather quiet. They were both dressed for bed. Rosemary rocked baby Lizzie who slept soundly as a rock in her mother's arms. Adair sat on the couch, absentmindedly running a brush through her sandy blond hair. She always did that when something was on her mind. She wouldn't make the move to talk about it, so it was up to Rosemary to pry it out of her.

"Something on your mind?"

Adair seemed to come back from far away. She looked to her aunt. "Why?"

"You're going to brush a bald spot into your head soon."

The girl laughed. "It's nothing really. Just... did Atreyu look alright to you?"

"What do you mean?"

Adair frowned. "It's just, I expected him to be a lot more excited to start school with us. Do you think we did the right thing?"

Rosemary smiled. She should have guessed it was about Atreyu. Adair didn't worry about much else. "Well it's natural for him to be a little nervous. New experiences are always scary. But if it's going to help him grow, then of course you did the right thing. He was going to have to put himself out there sooner or later. Better to do it in high school where there's room to mess up."

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe it's too soon."

"He'll be fine. It'll be healthy for him to have some human friends his own age besides you and Bryan. Honestly I'm more worried about you next semester."

Adair looked puzzled at that. "Me? Why?"

"Student Council? Film Club? Volleyball? Yearbook? And did I see you looking at that Spring musical audition sign up on the bulletin the other day?" Adair avoided eye contact. "Is there an extra-curricular out there you didn't sign up for?"

"I decided to do the community a service and say no to choir."

"Why all the clubs? Last year you treated after-school hours like a death sentence."

"I was a different person last year." She explained. "I just wanted to put myself out there more. You know, try new things."

"Well yes," Aunt Rosemary agreed. "It's good to try new things. But you don't have to try everything. I'm just worried you'll overextend yourself."

"I'll be fine." She promised. "If it gets to be too much, I'll quit the debate team."

"You're on the debate team too?!"

"I have a talent for arguing." Adair admitted. "Why waste it?"

Rosemary sighed. "Alright, as long as you're sure." She smiled at her niece. "I'm proud of you Adair. I think this is going to be an exciting year for us."

If the woman only knew how true that was going to be.


	3. Chapter 2: The Promise

**Chapter 2: The Promise  
**

Bastian kept his face straight and did his best to keep his voice level, but his knuckles were white where they remained clenched to the armrest of the passenger seat.

"Now the important thing is to remain calm." He reminded his driver who was faring no better than him in terms of nerves.

Atreyu kept his hands firmly at the ten and two positions as he'd been instructed. He gulped as the light they had been waiting for flashed green. Even so, his foot remained on the break.

"Atreyu, the light is green." Bastian explained, grateful there were no cars behind them yet.

"I know."

"That means you're free to go."

"I know."

"Then... why aren't you?"

"I want to make sure those aren't any other cars coming."

"Well they're not moving, because their light is red. But it's not going to stay red. So we'd better hurry and-" Without warning, Atreyu romped on the gas, sending the faded green sedan rocketing forward. "Take it easy!"

"You promised you wouldn't shout this time!"

"I'm not shouting! You're shouting!" Bastian held a hand over his chest to steady his heart rate. "Alright we're both shouting. I'm sorry. Just be gentle with the gas."

Atreyu nodded, but kept his eyes forward. They were wide with fright and he was breathing so hard through his nose Bastian could hear it. He was beginning to wonder if Christa had a reason besides grading her student's papers for skipping the game tonight, or at least the ride to the game. Clinging to the handle of the car door, he envied his wife a little.

"What are you so afraid of?" Bastian asked.

"I'm not afraid."

"Alright, 'tense' then. You've flown on a Luckdragon before. What's so daunting about driving a car?"

Atreyu gave him a sideways look.

"You're right. That's a horrible comparison. Just relax. You're doing fine. Just try not to run down anymore pedestrians."

"I ran over people back there?" Atreyu yelped, tossing his head over his shoulder to look frantically behind him. This caused him to inadvertently veer the car into the other lane without warning.

Bastian shot his hand out and grasped the wheel to get them back in the correct lane. "It was a joke Atreyu!"

"Running someone over with this monster is not a joke!"

"Calm down!"

"I can't calm down when you're shouting!"

"I'm not shouting!"

After that it was fairly silent in the car. Thankfully, Atreyu had become so resentful of Bastian's "advice" he completely forgot how nervous he was about driving, and the remainder of the trip to the game was fairly smooth. They still hadn't said a word when they pulled into parking lot right outside the stadium at Belrose High. They were late. The lot and the bleachers were packed and the cheers told them the game was already underway. They must have taken longer getting here than they realized. Finding a spot was an adventure in itself. When they finally did, Atreyu parked and walked toward the stadium with his hands in his pockets, not even looking at Bastian.

"I already said I was sorry. I didn't think you'd take me so seriously."

The boy exhaled slowly. "Just please don't tell Adair about this."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

They purchased their way in and had their hands stamped. Then they looked for who they were supposed to meet here. It wasn't as hard as they thought thanks to the giant paper sign Rosemary had made with "Run like the wind Bryan" painted in giant red letters. She held one end up and cheered at a volume most would find unreal for a woman as tiny as she was. The other end was being held less enthusiastically by Jamie who had his face in his other hand while he pretended not to know his mother. Adair sat next to them with a tray of snacks and drinks in her lap. Baby Lizzie leaning against her, bundled up in a pink windbreaker against the cold.

"Go for it Bryan!" Rosemary shouted over the din of the crowd. "That's my little quarterback down there!"

"Auntie," Adair interrupted. "Bryan's the running-back."

"What's the difference again?"

Adair paused. "I don't really know. I just know he won't like you cheering for "your quarterback" since it's not him."

Jamie groaned. "The quarterback is the one that throws the ball at the beginning of the play. The running-back is supposed to catch from the quarterback and run. That's why he's called a running-back. Which means if the stupid quarterback would throw the ball to Bryan already, our team could finally score some points! My gosh mom, you and Adair are so embarrassing." Adair and Rosemary exchanged glances.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Bastian asked as he and Atreyu sidled along the bleachers, through the legs of other patrons.

Adair rose from her seat awkwardly, trying to balance the tray of food in her hand. "You're late."

"We..." Atreyu began, offering to help her with the snacks. "We caught traffic."

"Well you're not missing much. Have a chili dog."

Atreyu accepted it gratefully. "What do you mean?"

"Well according to our 'expert'," she indicated Jamie. "The quarterback isn't passing to Bryan, so we're getting killed."

"Killed? Is it that serious?"  
"Dead serious!" Jamie grimaced. "He's only passing to the other running-back, and now the other team knows it, so they're covering him on all sides! Bryan's wide open every play, but the big dummy won't pass to him! He either passes it to the other guy who gets stomped by the other team, or he holds onto it too long and gets stomped by the other team."

Adair rolled her eyes. "So no, not that serious. The quarterback's just being a jerk."

"Doesn't look all that bad by the scoreboard." Bastian pointed out. "The other team's only winning by one touchdown."

"Our defense is pretty okay." Jamie explained. "And we scored some at the start, but we can't hang onto the ball long enough."

Down on the field, the Belrose coach called a time out. Atreyu could see Bryan on the field make his way to the huddle. The coach was pointing at him a lot and saying something to the quarterback. Thanks to his sharp eyes, he could make out more of what was going on. The coach was indicating Bryan to the quarterback who didn't look happy about whatever was being said. But the coach was holding his ground.

He nudged Adair. "Give it a little more time. Looks like Bryan's about to see some action after all." They watched the teams line up on the field as they prepared to start their next play. "Has he been practicing those moves I taught him?"

"Surprisingly, yes." She replied. "Everyday in the backyard."

In truth, Atreyu knew about as much about football as Adair or Rosemary. But he was a warrior, and one thing he understood better than anyone was how to maneuver quickly on a battlefield. He'd been showing Bryan some basic techniques, and he was confident he possessed the agility to pull them off in a real life situation. Though the play on the field was part of a game, Bryan had been trained to move in it as though it were a life or death situation just as Atreyu had learned.

The referee blew the whistle and the play began. He saw Bryan dig his heels in and take off in the direction of the play. As with the previous plays, the other team surrounded the second running-back. Bryan was wide open, clear to receive the catch. Following the coach's orders, the quarterback threw the oblong ball in his direction. Bryan caught it, and dashed for the end zone. The other team was thrown off by the change for a moment, but not for long. They were on Bryan in a hoard of blue and white, converging on him from behind and in front.

"Go baby!" Rosemary cried. "Run for everything you've got! Run! Run! Run!"

"Run! Run!" Lizzie mimicked, putting both her hands in the air.

Just as Atreyu had taught him, he moved nimbly. He kept his eyes on his target, but remained aware of the surrounding offense with his other senses. He swung his upper body underneath the arms of an offending player who leaped to tackle him. Then with a swift pop of his shoulders, rebuffed the other player off of his feet. He swung left and evaded the charge of another. Then as two players came from either side to intercept him, he dove to the ground, tucked his head and rolled on the ground right between them. They crashed head long into one another, leaving Bryan a clear path to the end zone. He ran for all he was worth and didn't stop until he crossed the white line. The crowd on their side cheered, but none louder than Rosemary, and this time Jamie was too happy for his brother to care how embarrassed he was. Bryan's touch down was registered on the scoreboard, then the team lined up for a field goal kick. It cleared the goal posts, and put the Belrose team just two points in the lead. The crowd grew even more thrilled.

After that play, the buzzer sounded for halftime and the school's band marched in single file onto the field for their show while the team made their way to the locker room for a break. Though the band marched stoically, Atreyu caught Bryan slap palms with a one of the clarinet players (a motion he'd come to understand was called a high-five). He recognized the band member as Bryan's best friend Jonas.

Adair stood up. "I'm going to get more drinks. You want anything?"

"I'm alright." he replied.

"Bastian, you want anything?"

Bastian took a bill from his pocket and handed it to her. "A diet soda would be nice. Christa's got me watching my figure."

Adair laughed and scooted her way through the bleachers to reach the snack station.

"Oh shoot." Rosemary said to no one in particular. In her hand was the digital camera she'd brought from home. "The battery's dying. I need to go to car and charge it. Can you guys watch Jamie and Lizzie for a second?"

"No problem Miss Rosemary." Atreyu responded.

"Aunt Rosemary." She corrected him. "Miss Rosemary is for old ladies, and we're practically family now."

"Sorry Miss Rosemary." He apologized without realizing his second slip.

She rolled her eyes and took his head in her hands and shook him. "You're impossible!"

The half-time show got underway, and while Atreyu would have liked to stay and enjoy the music, Jamie tugged the sleeve of his coat.

"Hey can you do me a favor?" He asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet with wooden beads strung on it. The beads were black with white Japanese characters scratched into them.

"Bryan forgot this today. It's his lucky courage bracelet. He never goes to a game without it. I'm too little to go in the locker room. Can you go give it to him?"

He took the bracelet. "Sure. I'll be right back." He excused himself from Bastian who agreed to keep an eye on Jamie and Lizzie.

"You know," Bastian began. "That will give us just enough time to finish that story I was telling you Jamie."

Atreyu couldn't hear which of Bastian's many stories he was about to tell because he was soon lost in the crowd. He descended the staircase to the bottom of the bleachers and asked one of the students where the locker rooms were. He was directed to a small brick building behind the stadium. Most of the team was outside, dowsing themselves with their water bottles. They didn't pay him any particular mind, and when he didn't see Bryan among their number, he let himself inside the building. He saw no one among the immediate rows of iron cupboards, but he could here low voices coming from the back. Thinking Bryan might be there, he followed the sound.

"Last time Freshman." He heard one of the voices say. "How did you score that touchdown?"

"Easy." He heard a voice he recognized as Bryan's. "'Cause no one's been guarding me all night. No one thought you'd throw to me."

"He asked you a question." said a third voice, none too kindly.

"You know what I mean." Said the first voice harshly. "Where did you learn those moves? The coach didn't show you how to move like that, and I know I didn't."

"Yeah, I know. You haven't showed me anything since I got on this team."

"You got a problem with your captain, Freshman?" Said the gruff third voice.

"Look, I'm the captain if this team. I've got to make sure we're all on the same page. And if you're getting some special help the rest of the team doesn't have, that's not fair to us is it."

He heard Bryan scoff. "You mean if anyone starts getting better than you."

"Whoah, did you hear that?" The third voice said. "Freshy thinks he's better than you."

"I didn't say that."

"I think you did."

By now, Atreyu had reached the row they were in at the far back of the building. He came around the corner and saw Bryan with his back against the lockers. Two of his teammates were facing him, both easily bigger than him. In fact the one with the gruff voice was bigger than anyone on the team. The other Atreyu recognized as the team's quarterback. They hadn't noticed him yet.

"I thought I made it clear how things work on this team when you first joined." The quarterback said in a low ominous tone. "But it looks like you need a refresher."

"Hey!" All three of them turned their attention on Atreyu, noticing him for the first time. He saw a measure of relief fill Bryan's eyes, but the other two boys were confused. He leveled his dark gaze against them, anger making him clench his fists at his sides. He may not have understood how football teams were supposed to work, but he knew bullying when he saw it. "What do you think you're doing to your teammate?"

"Who are you supposed to be?" the large one asked.

The quarterback raised a hand to silence him. He was a tall handsome youth with light brown hair the same color as his eyes. But the smile he had was not a kind one. "Only players are allowed back here buddy. Go wait in the stands like everyone else."

"I said what are you doing to your teammate?"

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"He's my friend. It is my business."

"Oh, so you want in on this huh?" The quarterback said with a sneer.

"Leave him alone Jared." Bryan interjected. "He's got nothing to do with this."

"Relax Freshy. Your boyfriend wants to take some of the heat for you, we'll let him." Then the quarterback made a mistake. It was something he'd done many times before that had always worked to get his way. He puffed out his chest and clenched his fists at his side. Then he took two steps toward Atreyu. It had always worked to intimidate any would-be upstart into backing down. But he had never met anyone like Atreyu who had been trained to recognize fighting stances and learned from experience to treat even a threatening gesture as intent to harm. Let it be known that Atreyu was a kind soul who always tried to do the right thing, but that he was not the kind to let his opponent make the first move. Had the quarterback known this in advance, he might have anticipated what Atreyu did next. But he didn't. Instead he reeled back as Atreyu's boot struck him directly in the face. Blood ran down his nose, splattering the white of his uniform and blending with the red.

The larger boy rushed, arms ready to grab him, but Atreyu was quicker. He ducked under his rush and hooked his foot to the boy's ankle, sweeping his leg and knocking him to the floor. He fell flat on his face. The quarterback, having not seen his companion's folly attempted much the same maneuver with the exact same result. Recognizing the gap between his own combat capabilities and that of his opponents, Atreyu intended to repeat this until they stayed down. He was confident he could keep sweeping their legs and knocking them to the ground until they gave up without having to seriously harm them. After all, he only fought to protect, not to destroy. But he was spared having to carry this on for too long, because school security had heard the scuffle by this point.

A broad shouldered man in a navy blue polo-shirt that read SECURITY in big capital letters on his chest came racing around the corner with a communicator in one hand and a baton in the other.

"What in my mama's corn-bread-cupcakes is going on here?!" the man exclaimed, taking note of the two players on the floor and Atreyu and Bryan standing over them. "Everyone up against the wall now! All four of you!"

* * *

Atreyu had faced down dangerous monsters and truly wicked villains before, and stared in the face of things most have only seen in their nightmares, each time with the same steady dark gaze. Yet for all his bravery, somehow the blue-gray stare of Principal Mieran Chambers had him wishing he could shrink into his shirt. Her eyes reminded him of storm clouds, and she had a way of holding her head that made it seem as though she were looking far below herself to see him. Her voice was crisp and clear, and at the moment it was sharp and cutting.

"I've been reviewing your record Mister Bux." She said sharply (Atreyu had taken Bastian's family name a short time ago). "You had exceptional scores on your entrance exam, I've learned some wonderful things about you from your family, and I'm looking forward to having you join the Belrose High student body. That's what I'd like to say anyway, but now that you've assaulted two of my students, I'm more inclined to burn your transcript right here and save myself the trouble. So keep that in mind when I ask you again. Why did you attack those two boys in the locker room?"

Atreyu thought on his answer, not because he was trying to make an excuse. He was an honest sort, some would say too honest for his own good. It was because he'd made a promise to Bryan not five minutes before being led into Principal Chamber's office. For whatever reason, Bryan had begged him not to tell anyone he had found Jared and the other boy (whose name he learned was Kevin) bullying him. So here he was insisting he'd been doing the right thing, without being able to explain what that right thing was.

"I can't say. But they did attack me first."

"Yes, you bear the scars of battle well." She retorted. "So well I can't even see them. Albert tells me he found you standing over both of them, one of them bleeding from his nose. This is terribly serious. Violence on school grounds for any reason is unacceptable behavior. With the information we have right now, you could find yourself in a juvenile detention center. Do you really want to start off your time here with a criminal record Mr. Bux? Now I'm asking you one more time, what really happened."

Atreyu bit his lip, wishing desperately he could explain himself. But he never broke a promise. "I can't say."

Principal Chambers sighed. "I see. Well since you can't tell me why you did it, and there's no evidence to suggest they were attempting to harm you, I'm afraid I'll have to file a report that-"

"Hold it Principal Chambers. Let's not do anything rash." Atreyu turned his head in his seat and saw a gangly youth about his age standing in the doorway. He had short messy dark hair and very large ears. He had an impish grin on his face and spoke in an odd dialect Atreyu had never heard before. He glanced Atreyu's way and slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry mate, where are my manners? Emmett Ambrose, student body president, and voted most handsome devil in the yearbook, two years running and going for three. Pleasure to meet you."

Atreyu was a bit staggered, but not displeased by the boy's overt friendliness. "Hello. I'm-"

"Oh you're Atreyu, yes of course. Funny story, Mieran and I were just talking about you the other day. You're the lucky lad I'm in charge of welcoming into the beauty and majesty that is Belrose High. Isn't that right Mieran?"

Principal Chambers narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Ambrose, we have talked about formality on school grounds have we not?"

Emmett slapped a palm to his forehead. "Oh right you are. So sorry Miss Chambers."

"I believe I sent you to locate Mr. Bux's family in the stands."

"Well about that, I figured they must be having such a nice time watching the game. Didn't want to spoil that for them, so I thought I'd wait. And while I was waiting, I started shooting the breeze with Jared. Poor bloke's just itching to get back into the game and what-not. Asked him what happened you see, and he swears he and Kevin tripped over each other on their way out of the locker room, and Jared bloodied his nose on the floor. Kevin's always been a right emu of a klutz hasn't he? So I asked Li'l Bryan what Atreyu was doing in the thick of all this, and he said Atreyu was just dropping off his lucky bracelet. Isn't that the nicest thing? So, what are we gabbing about here?"

Miss Chambers gaze only soured. "You know perfectly well what we're gabbing..." She sighed with frustration and corrected herself. "What we're talking about here. Mr. Bux has been implicated in an assault on two of our students."

"Huh." Emmett seemed puzzled. "Doesn't sound like any assault took place, not according to the other three anyway. Sounds like Atreyu was just dropping off a lucky bracelet like the right gent he his."

The vein in the middle of Miss Chambers' forehead was beginning to throb. "Alright then, Mr. Bux, why don't you show me this supposed lucky bracelet."

Unable to speak, Atreyu simply reached into his pocket and pulled out the wood-bead bracelet Jamie had given him for Bryan. Miss Chambers studied it from across her desk, then she sighed and rubbed the corners of her forehead.

"I don't have time for this." She muttered. "Alright Mr. Ambrose, since we seem to have nothing further to discuss, would you be so kind as to escort Mr. Bux back to the stands," she directed a harsh glance at Atreyu. "Where he will remain for the remainder of the game before returning straight home?"

"Anything you say, your ladyship. Right this way Atreyu." He motioned for Atreyu to follow him. They were almost out the door when Principal Chambers stopped them.

"Mr. Bux, be informed that I will be calling your home to explain your visit here to your family. I suggest you get your story straight by tonight."

"I'm sure he will Miss Chambers. I'm sure he will." Emmet assured her. Then he grabbed Atreyu by the shoulder and hurried him out of the office. He whispered an aside into his ear. "Move your feet already, before she changes her mind."

* * *

The "family meeting" in Bastian's living room went much like the meeting with Principal Chambers, with Atreyu finding it difficult to meet eyes with Bastian and Christa. By the time they'd reached home, Miss Chambers had already called Christa, and Atreyu had started to tell the story to Bastian on the ride home. Much as he had with Principal Chambers, he found it impossible to explain to them he had done the right thing without telling them what that was. They said much the same thing Miss Chambers had said about fighting and violence which only confused him. He hadn't been violent. He'd been defending himself. He'd never gotten into trouble doing so in Fantasia. Why was it so wrong in this world? Unable to come to any kind of agreement, Bastian decided it was time for all three of them to get some rest and clear their heads. But when Bastian bid his wife good night and went to shut their window before going to bed himself, he sighed when he saw the small light flickering from the window of the tree house in their back yard.

Guilt was not something Atreyu dealt with very well. He didn't believe he'd done anything wrong, but he did know he had upset Bastian and Christa. This wasn't the first time they'd gotten into an argument with the boy. It wasn't that Atreyu was a trouble maker. Bastian knew him to be the most honest and goodhearted person he'd ever known. But more than once his upbringing as a Fantasian warrior had clashed with the hard realities of the human world, and it left him at a loss. Bastian knew Atreyu did what he felt was right no matter what, and that black and white sense of justice had landed some trouble for him in the past. He had yet to learn there were other ways of doing the right thing. And when these disagreements arose, Atreyu found he could not sleep in the house, and instead took his thoughts to the tree house to look up at the stars until he fell asleep. That's exactly where Bastian found him, still in his clothes, lying on his back on the old cot under the skylight.

"Thought I'd find you up here." He said as he hoisted himself through the trap door above the ladder. Atreyu acknowledged him, but said nothing. Bastian went to the stool that sat in the corner of the tree house and folded his hands in his lap. "Atreyu listen. Christa and I, we didn't mean to confuse you. And we know you wouldn't go around picking fights for no reason. But you say you can't tell us what that reason is?"

Atreyu sighed and closed his eyes. "No."

"Can you at least tell me why you can't tell me?"

"Because I made a promise."

"That's good enough for me. Now tell me this. Those boys you thrashed, did they deserve it?"

"Completely." He answered with a hint of bitterness.

"I understand. But you need to understand that you're going to have more disagreements with them, and your other classmates. Nobody's perfect. You're going to have to find other ways to deal with them."

"Even when they're doing something terribly wrong?"

"I'm afraid so." Bastian thought hard on a way he could explain it. "Think back to..." He snapped his fingers, trying to recall an instance in Fantasia that could relate to this. "The hunters from your village. All those men and boys out in the wilderness, away from their families, in the thick of danger. I imagine there were more than a few arguments." Atreyu nodded. "And did those arguments ever come to blows?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because it was more important for all of us to stick together so we could make it back safely. Disputes were resolved by the tribe's elders, and everyone agreed to their decisions whether they liked them or not for the good of the tribe."

"Precisely. That's exactly how it is at school. Like it or not, those boys are now classmates. You're part of the same school, and for the good of everyone, you should try to get along. And if they get out of hand, take the matter to a tribal elder."

Atreyu sat up. "You mean like Principal Chambers?"

"Or another adult. Now you're getting it. I know it's hard, but you need to at least give us grown-ups a chance to do our job before you take things into your own hands."

"But what if they attack me first, or I see them attacking someone else."

Bastian got a knowing look in his eye, but he tried not to let Atreyu see. Without realizing it, the boy had given away his true reason for fighting tonight, and it was a reason he understood well. Atreyu was not someone who could turn a blind eye to injustice, and neither was Bastian.

"Well no. If they ever attack you or anyone else, you give them a good thrashing. But anything less, you consider my advice. Agreed?" He held his hand out to him.

"Agreed." Atreyu took his hand and shook it.

"Now come inside. I know the cold doesn't bother you, but you know how Christa feels about you sleeping out here. I'd rather spare you more of her statistics on tree-house related injuries."

* * *

**"Grandpa?" the boy interrupted. "How come Bryan didn't want anyone to know those guys were picking on him?"**

** Grandpa nodded thoughtfully. "Good question. Male pride is a strange thing Sport. We men, we like to handle things on our own. We get the idea that if we ask for help or we can't solve something on our own, that makes us weak. And that's not true. Everyone could use a bit of help now and again. In fact trying to take on everything by ourselves usually gets us into more trouble than we started with. Yet we have to learn that lesson over and over. Not even scientists can explain the stubbornness of men. Even Atreyu had to learn this the hard way."**

** "What?" The boy said in disbelief. "Atreyu can do anything. He's a hero."**

** "You think so?" Grandpa said with a smile. "Well how about I tell you what happened next."**


	4. Chapter 3: Welcome to Belrose High

**Chapter 3: Welcome to Belrose High**

Came and went the winter break, and the new semester was beginning at Belrose High School. For most this meant back to grinding away at homework, trying to figure out algebra, and how on earth they would ever need to know the measurements of an isosceles triangle in real life later. For others it meant try-outs for new teams, joining new clubs, or other electives the spring semester offered. But for Atreyu it was the beginning of a bold new adventure. He stood outside the gates to the campus, watching his peers mull their way back to routine. He adjusted the backpack strapped to him and shifted uncomfortably in his new gear. He'd gone shopping for new school clothes with Christa the day before, and Adair had gone with them as a "consultant". She'd insisted this was how many of the boys at their school dressed, but he still couldn't understand why they bought their jeans already torn in the knees. And he didn't see why he needed to wear a shirt over another shirt. But she had at least consented in letting him keep his boots rather than getting the neon colored hi-top sneakers she'd found. He hadn't argued with her much because she seemed to have an absurd amount of fun putting him in different outfits. He decided he'd just get used to it eventually.

"Looking good." He turned and saw Adair leaning on the wall outside the campus. She had her school bag hanging at her side and a stack of papers and spiral notebooks in her arms.

He blushed and shifted his backpack again. "I feel kind of strange, like everyone's staring at me."

"That's kind of the point." She said with a sly smile. "Alright, I'll admit it. I finally have a boyfriend going to the same school with me and I wanted everyone to know it."

"So you're..."

"Yes. I'm showing you off."

He shook his head. "Alright, but how many people are honestly going to notice me when I'm walking next to you?"

She flipped her hair sarcastically. "It's a curse. It really is." He laughed, but kept his eyes on her sandy blond hair as it fell back around her shoulders. He knew Adair didn't really think of herself as all that striking, but he'd yet to find anyone as beautiful.

"Alright, let's get this party started." She motioned for him to follow her into the campus.

"Where's Bryan?"

"He's on the other side of campus. We actually won't see a whole lot of him. He's a freshman and we're juniors. It's one of the tender mercies Belrose High affords me. Time away from my darling cousin."

He raised his eyebrows at her and grinned. "You don't mean that."

"Oh no, I do. I love him to death, but if I didn't have this time to myself, he never would have made it into his teens. Anyway, worry about yourself right now." She started sorting through the papers and notebooks she was carrying. "I got all your essentials. Here's your class schedule, here's a map of the campus, and the all-important student handbook." She perused his schedule before handing it to him and frowned at it.

"What is it?"

"I was hoping we'd have more classes together. Looks like we only have Higgins for English. Oh, but you have Mr. Fillmore for creative writing! You'll like him. He's cool."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Well you should probably watch out for Reynolds in history. He's a good storyteller, so it's easy to remember stuff, but he'll hit you with the most homework. You've got Jackson for algebra and he was so good about dumbing stuff down for me last year, so you should be fine."

Atreyu looked puzzled. "But you're not dumb."

"Well somebody should tell that to Pythagoras. Looks like your first class is with Reynolds. I'll show you where it is."

"Now hold it right there!" A familiar jovial voice crept up behind them. Atreyu turned to see the boy with large ears he'd met in Principal Chambers office. "Adair darling, where do you get off keeping this scrumptious young thing all to yourself." In a sly motion he took Adair's hand and raised it to his lips. Adair was not amused, and truth be told, neither was Atreyu.

"Hello Emmett. Atreyu, this is Emmett. We're on the student council together."

"We've met." Atreyu explained.

"Certainly have, certainly have." Emmett flashed Atreyu a grin. "So Adair, I heard from the powers that be that you've got your hands full today."

"What are you talking about?"

"Not much, only that dear Mieran, sorry, Miss Chambers was looking for you. She wanted to go over a few events for the term with you since you're the newly elected head of the planning committee and all."

"I'm what? When did we decide that?"

"This morning. I was sure to put in a good word for you at the meeting. Can't imagine where you might have been. But tell you what, why don't _I _give Atreyu the grand tour for you." With a flourish, he snatched Atreyu's schedule and snapped it in front of his own face. "Talk about convenient, we both start the day with Reynolds. Think today's the day we're going to hear about how you Yankee Dandy's beat the snot out of us in the revolution. That one never gets old. I still say you lot owe us quite the cup of tea, but all water under the London Bridge now, hey mate?"

"What?" Atreyu looked to Adair pleadingly.

She shook her head. "I'll explain it to you later."

"Now come on old boy, don't be shy. Right this way." Emmett looped an arm around Atreyu's shoulders and began hauling him away. Adair was about to protest, but he waved back to her. "Run along now love, Miss Chambers wants to see you in her office post-haste." Atreyu couldn't get a word in. Emmett leaned in and whispered an aside to him. "Girls eh? Call a girl your girlfriend and she thinks she's your mum."

* * *

The bell rang for lunch hour, and by that time, Atreyu had endured four different classes. He soon found it was very different than being home-schooled by Bastian and Christa. He couldn't believe how long this place expected him to sit still. With Bastian, education had taken place both at home and his bookshop, as well as outdoors. He'd gone to museums, libraries and anywhere else that tied into what Bastian was teaching him. At Belrose High, it seemed the procedure was to sit at your desk and listen to the teachers, follow along in the book, and fill out the occasional work sheet. The one exception to the rule had been his fourth hour in Mr. Fillmore's class.

To start with, they'd been arranged in a circle rather than uniform rows. Secondly, there were two faces he was familiar with (besides Emmett). Bryan and his best friend Jonas were also enrolled in Mr. Fillmore's creative writing class. Mr. Fillmore was the kind of teacher who not only encouraged, but demanded active involvement from his students. He recognized Atreyu right away as a new addition to his class and had him stand in the center of the circle.

"Okay Atreyu," He had said. "Stand up and tell us a little about yourself. Don't worry, we do this everyone. Just some basic stuff. Your full name, what you like to do, your favorite ice cream, something unique about you, and then I'd like you to tell a story. Doesn't have to be a long one, just tell us about a place you've imagined. First thing that comes to your mind. And... go."

With all the eyes on him, Atreyu felt like he was back in the Plains, in council with the elders of his tribe. Such an occasion was usually a solemn one. It was something he could do graciously, but still not something he enjoyed. Still, he stood erect and met eyes with everyone in the class as he spoke.

"My name is Atreyu Bux. My favorite ice cream is Rocky Road. I like to hunt." This was true, though it had been some time since he had gone hunting.

"Hunt?" Jonas interrupted. "What do you like to hunt?"

"My people hunt the pur-" He had been about to say the purple buffalo, but he noticed Bryan desperately shaking his head and making a cut-off motion with his hand. Unbeknownst to him, not only did purple buffalo not exist in the human world, hunting buffalo of any kind was illegal in this area, purple or otherwise. He took a moment to rethink his answer. "All kinds of things." He answered as convincingly as he could.

"What do you like to hunt with?"

Atreyu wasn't sure what he meant. "With a bow." He wondered what else one would possibly hunt with.

A girl a few seats away from Bryan and Jonas, but with a girl on either side of her raised her hand. She had long brown hair tied in a braid over her shoulder and her wrists and neck were laden with gleaming jewelery. "You said 'your people'. Who are your people exactly?" She spoke in a voice that sounded higher than it was supposed to, almost like it was forced.

"My people are from the plains." He answered carefully.

"No way! You're a Plains Indian? That's so cool! I am totally part Cherokee."

Emmett scoffed. "You and everyone else."

Atreyu had a vague idea what she meant by calling him an Indian, but didn't think anymore on it. Spared anymore questions about himself, it was now time for him to share a story about a place he'd imagined. He didn't have to think hard on this. The first place that always came to his mind was the Grassy Ocean, the plains that had been his home when he was a child. He told them about the purple buffalo that grazed there, about the brave and loyal people who hunted them, but also counted them as brothers. He told them about the tall green grass that shimmered gold when it blew in the wind, and he told them about the white luckdragon that flew over it once in a great while.

When the class ended and they filed out for lunch, Emmett caught him by slinging an arm over his shoulder. He was a very personable sort that way.

"Loved your story mate. You were really into it. Almost like you'd been there."

"I liked it too." It was the brown haired girl with too much jewlery. She batted her delicate lashes at him. Her two friends stood on either side of her. "That place sounded so pretty. I'd like to hear more. Want to have lunch with us?"

"Actually I was about to-"

"Found you!" Adair's voice startled him, as did her sudden grab from behind. She looped her arms around his waist and waved the homemade packed lunch over his shoulder, dangling it in front of his face. "Come on, I found us a spot to eat."

She came around his side and seemed to notice the other girls for the first time. Her eyes lowered in a sneer at the center one.

"Samantha." she said coldly.

"Adair." Samantha said right back and just as kindly. Her voice was a little lower this time. So that high voice was put on.

"I see you've met my boyfriend." The declaration struck some kind of cord with Samantha, but Atreyu could only guess why. "Weren't you wearing your hair in a braid this morning?" Adair was right. Atreyu had noticed the braid over her shoulder in class, yet now her wavy brown tresses were draped around her shoulders, hanging to the middle of her back.

"Are you stalking me now?"

"Not quite, but you are who I was looking for. There's been another incident with Mariah's locker. This time an avalanche of cake and candy wrappers spilled out. Would you know anything about that?" Samantha's cohorts giggled among themselves and Samantha herself had a cruel smile.

"Sounds like whatever fat-camp she went to over winter break gave her some bad withdrawals."

"Well a few students placed you at the scene. Miss Chambers wants to see you in her office right away."

Samantha tossed her hair. "Whatever." She said with a toss of her hair. Then she turned her gaze back at Atreyu and batted her eyelashes, her voice jumping up another octave. "Guess I'll have to take a rain check. See you around." She turned heel and her followers went with her. When she was a safe distance away, Emmett gave a slow clap.

"Well played Madame Chairman."

Adair ignored him and rounded her gaze on Atreyu. For some reason she didn't look happy.

"Stay away from her. She's dangerous."

Atreyu was confused. "Dangerous how?"

"Aside from being the most vicious bully in school?"

"Second most vicious." Emmett pointed out. "I heard you gave her quite a tongue lashing last year."

"Oh please. I only gave her some of her own medicine."

"Made her cry."

"If you can't take it, don't dish it out."

"You can be fierce when you want to be." Atreyu agreed, and he had meant it as a compliment. He admired ferocity. He had yet to learn it was not really something a girl wanted to hear.

"Are you defending her now? She's pure evil."

"I didn't think so. She seemed nice to me."

This assessment only seemed to infuriate Adair. "Are you kidding me?" The volume of her own voice seemed to catch her off guard and she lowered it to a hiss so as not to attract attention. "Of course she was nice to you. She's nice to good looking guys, and she can turn on the charm when she wants to get her way. That's the darkest kind of magic I know of."

Atreyu grew more perplexed the more Adair tried to convince him. Why was this so important to her? "Adair, I doubt she's a witch." Emmett openly laughed at that statement.

"Afraid there's a whole slough of the student body that would get right aggro to hear you say that. Take it from us mate, that's a right beastly piece of work. But enough about that, let's get to lunching. What'd you bring us Adair? Smells absolutely cracking." And with that, he looped his arms around both their shoulders and started leading them away.

* * *

Emmett ate his school bought lunch with a sour expression leveled at Adair.

"Right criminal of you not to share."

Adair rolled her eyes. "To be fair, you kind of invited yourself to lunch with us. I only made enough for me and Atreyu." She said again before spooning another mouthful of sweet & sour pork and rice into her mouth. Truth be told, Aunt Rosemary had helped her make this dish the night before, but she would never admit that to Atreyu.

"Too bad." Atreyu said between bites. "It's really good."

Emmett sulked. "Now you're just being mean."

"Atreyu I need your help!" It was Bryan, and he was sprinting for the spot they were eating at.

Adair stood up and put her hands on his shoulders, nearly getting herself knocked over. When had he gotten so tall? "Catch your breath. What is it?"

"I can't find Jonas!" He sputtered between short ragged breaths. "But when I went to his locker, Kevin Thomas was standing in front of it!"

Adair sighed. "Not again. Emmett, you come with me. Atreyu I think it would be best if you..." She'd been about to say it was best if Atreyu stayed away from the scene, remembering the scuffle he'd gotten into with the same bully in the locker room at Bryan's game. She stopped when she noticed Atreyu was no longer where he'd been.

"Just missed him Love." Emmett pointed across the courtyard. Sure enough, Atreyu was taking off at a full run the way Bryan had come. Bryan was right behind him.

"Great." Adair followed after them, but at a walk. She wasn't nearly as fast a runner as Atreyu or her cousin, but she knew where they were going and saw little point in chasing them. Emmett followed at her heels.

"Got a plan Madame President?"

"You're the president." She reminded him. "I'm just the head of the planning committee."

"And official public relations representative."

She spun around and nailed Emmett with her hazel-green gaze. "Since when?!"

"Since third period. How do you keep missing these meetings?"

They found Kevin just where Bryan said they would, leaning on Jonas' locker and acting casual. They found Atreyu exactly where Adair knew he would be, staring Kevin down with clenched fists at his sides.

"I'll say it one more time." Atreyu said in a voice that was level, but intense enough one could almost feel heat coming off of him. "Move out of the way."

Kevin Thomas, the largest boy and biggest bully in their grade, the same boy who had been on the receiving end of a thrashing from Atreyu that night at the game just smiled a mean stupid smile.

"Why? Is there a rule that says I can't stand here?"

Atreyu glowered at the bully's evasion. "In front of a locker that's not yours?"

"How do you know it's not mine?"

"Seriously?" Bryan cried. "You think I don't know my best friend's locker?"

By this time, Adair had caught up to them. She had a hand on her hip and a look of irritation.

"Enough of this. Jonas, are you in there?"

A pathetic "yes" echoed inside the locker. Kevin rolled his eyes and stepped aside. Atreyu kept his dark eyes pinned on the bully while Adair stepped around him and forced the locker open. Jonas practically fell into her arms at the first sight of daylight he'd had all lunch hour. She put a protective arm around his shoulder and glowered at Kevin. Jonas, a short wiry lad with hipster glasses and way too much purple in his wardrobe stared at the floor and tried to shrink into himself.

"Okay Kevin, I thought we were done with this." Adair said icily.

Kevin just shrugged. As a third time junior, he wasn't known for his wit, and though he kept his chest puffed out, he certainly didn't have the grit to hold his ground against someone like Adair. His partner in crime Jared however was a different story. As if sensing his teammate's danger, he rounded the corner of the hall and strutted onto the scene with a perfectly white, but unappealing smile. His light brown hair was styled nicely today, not plastered in sweat and energy-drink like the last time Atreyu had seen him.

"Freak Queen rescuing her subjects again?" Jared said with a sneer. He stopped smiling when his light brown eyes landed on Atreyu. "What are you doing here?"

"I go to school here now."

Jared's eyes drifted between him and Adair, then his smile turned even nastier. "Oh, Adair did you upgrade?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you trade Jason in for a better model? I haven't seen him around."

"He moved." Adair half-lied. "But I'll be sure to tell him you miss him."

Kevin chuckled stupidly and muttered an aside. "Miss beating his face in."

Atreyu heard him and felt his temper flare up. "What did you say?"

Jared laughed. "Oh sorry, was he your boyfriend too?"

"That's enough." Adair warned.

"Is it? I don't know, it looks like Jason 2.0 wants to start something."

Atreyu felt every muscle in his face tightening with barely contained anger. "Jason is my brother, and you will not speak of him that way."

Jared made a sarcastic sign of backing off. "Sorry, I didn't know. You going to do something about it?"

Kevin smirked. "Yeah. You going to do something about it?"

"Atreyu." Adair cautioned. She could see his hands starting to tremble in anger.

Atreyu stared at the boys, his dark eyes wavering on indecision. He heard Adair's warning, and he remembered his promise to Bastian. Unless these scoundrels attacked him directly, or someone else, he was not to provoke a fight. Stuffing Jonas into a locker had been cruel, but he seemed physically unharmed. As for their taunts and jibes at Adair and Jason, this was just childish bating of someone who wanted to fight. No actual attack had taken place. As difficult as it was, he knew he needed to swallow his pride and let this go, or he would be made out to be the aggressor. He unclenched his fist and released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding just as the lunch bell rang.

"Well this was fun." Jared said. "We should do lunch again sometime." He signaled his lackey to follow him, but stopped short of leaving. "Oh hey, it's Atreyu right?" He pointed one finger right at him. "Chambers is keeping a close eye on us because of what happened at the game, so I'm trying to keep my nose clean around here. Cool?" Then he added with the slimiest grin yet, "But whatever happens out of school, that's nobody's business."

Kevin shouldered his way past Bryan and got so close to Atreyu's face he could smell the ground beef on his breath. "See you around."

Emmett (and probably everyone else) breathed a sigh of relief when they were finally gone. "Lovely boys them. Well, off to gym class for us old boy." He slapped both hands on Atreyu's shoulders and pushed him forward like an awkward tin soldier. The rest of the day went on peacefully. It didn't come as much of a surprise to anyone who knew him that Atreyu was the fastest in their gym class, and the physical activity did give him an outlet for what he felt he'd left unresolved between Jared and Kevin. After gym came the only class he shared with Adair; English with Miss Higgins. He sat next to Adair who clued him into what everything they were reading meant. This semester their teacher was focusing on Shakespeare. It came a little easier to him than it would for most because he had actually visited parts of Fantasia where people still spoke in that manner. By the end of the class, he was translating for her.

On his other side was a boy who looked very out of place. He wore a black coat that went all the way down to his ankles. It was covered in chains and buckles that looked heavy and unnecessary. The boy's hair was darker even than Atreyu's own, but his complexion was pale and sickly. He wore a line of black around both eyes, and a metal stud glimmered in his lower lip. Atreyu had attempted a friendly hello, but had only been met with a blank stare.

The final bell rang, and the students of Belrose High were free for the day. On the way home, Adair and Atreyu walked hand in hand and she smiled.

"I was really proud of how you handled things earlier."

Atreyu wasn't sure what she meant. "When?"

"You know, with Jared and Kevin."

"Oh, that." He looked ahead and did not share her smile. "I don't know that was anything to be proud of. I feel like I backed down."

"You can't think like that." She squeezed his hand. "They were _trying _to get a rise out of you and you didn't give in. I think that makes you braver than if you'd punched them."

"Did the giant ugly one really used to bully Jason?"

"Kevin? Yeah he did." Adair sighed. "Actually it was about fifty-fifty. Jason picked almost as many of those fights as Kevin did, and he ran into as much trouble with the principal."

He grimaced. "They shouldn't treat people like that. Someone should teach them a lesson."

"I'm not disagreeing with you." She assured him. "But it doesn't have to be you every single time."

"Still..." he hesitated.

"Hey." She stopped walking and pulled him so his eyes met hers. "You're not there to save everyone. You're there to get an education."

He sighed. "That's going to be hard. Saving people is what I do. Remember?"

"I'm not saying to stop either."

"Then what are you saying?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but then she stopped. What was she telling him? She didn't look sure herself. As if fate planned to answer for her, a scream interrupted them. It was high and shrill. It had come from around the corner. They both looked in the direction of the scream, then back at each other before they both broke into a run. He was faster than she was and half-dragged her after him.

When they rounded the corner they stopped and spotted the source of the commotion. A woman was in a grapple over her purse with a man in a dull gray hoodie. He was easily larger than she was, and he was brandishing a weapon of some kind in one hand while jerking violently on the poor woman's purse with the other.

Adair's hand shot into her pocket for her phone, acting quickly. "I'm calling the police." She said at first, then realized she was speaking to no one. "Atreyu!" He had already sprung into action, sprinting at full speed at the thief. The man had succeeded in shoving the woman to the ground, relieving her of her belongings in the process. When he turned to run, he saw a dark haired boy running straight at him, his dark eyes zeroed in on him and his lips peeled back from his teeth in a savage roar. It caught the man so off guard he cried in alarm and the hand which gripped his weapon acted on its own. Atreyu realized too late the man was carrying a gun and pointing it directly at him. He was only three steps from the attacker when the sound of the gunshot exploded through the street.


End file.
